Research funding for graduate and undergraduate students will allow Newfoundland and Labrador to attract and retain highly-qualified students pursuing research related to this province's ocean industries sector.

The Research & Development Corporation (RDC) today announced details of its 2011 RDC Ocean Industries Student Research Awards competition.

The awards target graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in ocean industries-relevant programs, including offshore petroleum engineering and geosciences, ocean engineering, fisheries, aquaculture, and related marine science, and other areas that support innovation and the commercialization of ocean technologies in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Post-secondary students across Canada and internationally, who are interested in pursuing their studies and conducting leading-edge research in Newfoundland and Labrador, at either Memorial University of Newfoundland or the College of the North Atlantic, are encouraged to apply.

"Attracting top-notch student researchers pursuing studies relevant to ocean industries here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and providing them with the financial support they need, is critical to the future success and growth of this sector," said Glenn Janes, Chief Executive Officer, RDC. "Newfoundland and Labrador needs both highly-qualified people required by industry and the next generation of R&D leaders. This award's program offers the financial support required to foster the development of those researchers."

The awards range in value from $7,500 per year for undergraduate research to $20,000 to $30,000 per year at the graduate level. There will be an estimated 20 research awards available. The students' research supervisors will also receive funding to support their supervisory work.

Award candidates will be selected based on academic achievement, the technical merits of the proposed research plan and the relevance of the research to Newfoundland and Labrador's ocean industries. The final selection of award recipients will be made with advice from RDC's research awards committee, comprised of academia, industry and government stakeholders in ocean industries.

Earlier this month, RDC announced more than $1 million over a three-year period in funding to attract and retain 22 top researchers. In total, eight doctoral, 12 masters, and two undergraduate students at Memorial University of Newfoundland were recognized as the inaugural recipients of the awards.

Applications are available at www.researchnl.com. The deadline for applications is January 28, 2011.

The Research & Development Corporation (RDC) is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador's R&D performance. RDC works with R&D stakeholders including industry, academia and government agencies and departments. For more information about RDC, go to www.researchnl.com.

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